It was all Chuck's fault!
by boaterV
Summary: Ellie's neighborly attitude causes her to notice things she had been blissfully unaware of.


Set somewhere in season 2. No spoilers. Just a quick one shot about Ellie having her eye's opened to the deliciousness that is John Casey.

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Ellie was silently thanking whoever had brought back into fashion the giant sunglasses that currently hid her eyes. They were the only thing keeping her from making a complete and utter fool of herself. She was an engaged woman. Spoken for. She had found her prince charming. They were to be married in less than a month and yet as she sat in the yellow lounge chair, soaking in the sun, poolside her eyes kept drifting back to the large form of her neighbor.

John was scrubbing his car from top to bottom. The t shirt he had started in was tossed carelessly aside in a damp pile. Water glistened in the downy thatch of hair that covered his well muscled chest and his khakis shorts clung to his powerful thighs. He was a vision of masculinity and Ellie was having a hard time dragging her eyes back to the trashy magazine currently sitting ignored in her lap.

She cursed under her breath. This was all Chucks fault. She had never even given John a second look before last week and now she couldn't seem to escape him. She bumped into him jogging along to beach on Tuesday, he helped her carry in her groceries on Wednesday and Thursday found him standing on her doorstep asking to borrow a cup of sugar. Now as she sat by the pool hoping to enjoy the California sunshine she found herself lost in foolish fantasies that inevitable ended up with John pinning her helplessly against the door to his apartment and making her scream his name.

She shook her head trying to clear the fog on lust as John picked up the hose to rinse the soap from his late model Crown Vic. From a purely objective standpoint he really was something to watch. All lean muscle and tanned skin. There was something so animal like in the way he moved, so predatory. For the thousandth time this week she wondered how much she didn't know about her brother's friend and coworker. That thought was quickly followed by more self admonishing. Ellie had a fiancé; she shouldn't be drooling over her broody and handsome neighbor.

If only she had listened to Chuck. If only she hadn't been her normal bubbly and outgoing self. If only.

**One Week Earlier.**

Ellie stood in the kitchen slicing a piece of the freshly made strawberry rhubarb pie. Placing it in a small Tupperware container she hummed a little song to herself as she licked the sticky syrup off her thumb.

"I'm telling you Ellie you should call before you go over." Chuck yelled from his current location on the couch where he and Morgan were watching the star trek redux.

"Why don't you let me do the taste testing?" Morgan piped up.

"Nonsense Chuck. Neighbors are always welcome and Morgan you can taste test a pie when you are the one that gives me the recipe." She turned and headed towards the door.

"Okay Ellie but if he is over there in his underwear watching a John Wayne marathon don't say I didn't warn you." Chuck laughed slightly and turned back towards the TV.

Ellie paused at the door and turned back towards her brother and his friend. "Okay Chuck, I've been warned." She took one more step before turning back once more. "Morgan, do not touch the rest of the pie. It's for dinner tonight. You can wait until then."

Ellie smiled brightly as she walked across the courtyard. She was been very pleased with the way the pie had turned out but she was still nervous that it wouldn't be up to John's standards. When he had given it to her he had told her is was an old Casey family favorite. She hoped she had done his family proud.

She approached his door with the container in one hand the other raised to knock. As her knuckles hit the door it opened slightly. Ellie realized John must have not closed it all the way. Pushing it open further she called out his name. Taking a step inside the door she called again. Louder, this time a slight frown creasing her brow. Perhaps he was out and he just didn't lock up. It wasn't like they lived in a high crime area. She decided to just put the container on the kitchen table with a note.

Strolling past the immaculate living room she headed for the kitchen. Ellie continued to hum quietly as she placed the container on the small round table. Looking around for something to write with she noticed and pad and a pen sitting on the counter next to the phone. She smiled as she picked them up and sat at the table. She jotted a quick note and got up to leave.

Moving back towards the front door she heard a noise upstairs. She frowned slightly and paused. Maybe John hadn't left the door open and he was being robbed right now? Was that possible? She moved to the bottom of the stairs and called his name again. When she got no response she took a few more steps up towards the bedroom. She heard another bump. She should go back downstairs and call the police. That's what she should do but instead she took a few more steps upstairs.

"I already called the police. I would leave if I were you." She was pleased with her bluff until she realized she was standing right in the path anyone trying to make a hasty exit would have to cross. She should have grabbed something to use as a weapon when she was still in the kitchen. Better yet she should be leaving and actually calling the police instead of taking another step towards what she assumed was John's bedroom and some sort of masked robber.

At the top of the stairs her adrenalin was compromising her ability to make sane and rational decisions. A small part of her brain was still telling her to call the police but it was quickly drowned out by the voice yelling at her to protect her neighbor. She would want someone to stop someone from breaking into her house. Logic had no place in the protective surge that kept Ellie moving forward like a mama lion. Pushing John's already ajar door open further she realized she was in his bedroom. Quickly glancing around the room she saw no one. She felt a moment of self doubt. Perhaps the noises were all in her mind? Maybe they were coming from another apartment. She turned to move back down the stairs. She would head home and call John and let him know what had happened. He would know better than her if anything had been disturbed.

As she turned back towards the door nervously chuckling she thought she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. As she turned towards it she found her body spinning with such speed she didn't even have time to feel panic. The room was plunged into murky darkness and she found her body pressed against the door as a pair of powerful hands swept across her body. She wanted to scream but the fear had caused only a tiny squeak to escape.

"What are you doing here?" The voice was dark and gruff and it took her a moment to realize it was John's voice. John's hands holding her against the door. John's powerful legs pressing her against the smooth surface of the door and her body shivered from the heat and a small whimper escaped her throat. "Ellie?"

John's voice was soft and she couldn't barely mange a nod. He shifted slightly. Suddenly the room was bathed in light and Ellie blinked to get her eyes to adjust. She tried to offer a smile but when she looked at John she realized he was only wearing a pair of dark grey sweatpants and he was still pressed up against her.

As if he suddenly realized just what was going on he pulled back slightly and Ellie took her first deep breath. He looked down at the floor and she was grateful he couldn't see how dilated her pupils were from his touch.

She stammered trying to explain what she was doing while he stood inches away from her wearing almost nothing. "I brought you pie." He raised an eyebrow at that. "Strawberry rhubarb." He was smiling now. Enjoying her squirming. "I heard a noise." _Great job Ellie. Can you actually complete a thought?_

John moved closer and brushed a finger over her wrist realizing he had actually bruised her. "Sorry." Ellie was staring up at him and she couldn't seem to slow her heart. It was pounding so loudly in her chest she took a moment to realize he was talking to her.

"It's nothing." She tore her gaze away from his face and looked down at her wrist. Sure enough there was a dark splotch already visible. She suddenly felt sick. It had been so stupid to come and investigate what could have been a dangerous situation. "I should get going." She turned and tried to head back down the stairs. "Pies' on the kitchen table. Please let me know if you like it." She called over her shoulder as she rushed out the front door taking gulping breaths of fresh air.

Walking slowly back to her front door she replayed the last 5 minutes over in her head. Now standing in the brightly lit courtyard the thought of danger was almost laughable. Her mind was putting a decidedly different twist on the events. Her pulse jumped at the memory of John's powerful body pressing up against her in his darkened bedroom. She felt flush and uncomfortable and her mind wasn't behaving like she believed the mind of an engaged woman should.

Pushing open the door she saw Chuck and Morgan still sitting on the couch. She sighed slightly as she pushed the last thought about John out of her mind. It was time to get back to reality. Her life was with Devon. It was perfectly normal to have occasional thoughts about other men. This was the lie Ellie told herself as she stared longingly at the pie sitting on the counter.

**Present**

Ellie cursed softly under her breath. Fate was a cruel Bitch. Picking up her magazine and turning to head back inside she took one last glance at the parking lot were John had been washing his car. He waved to her and smirked. She felt the now familiar heat pool as she raised her hand to wave back trying to muster up a friendly smile. She had spent the better part of the last week trying to control her body's strong reaction to John with no success. It seemed the more she tried not to think about it the worse it got. How long before Devon noticed how distracted she had become? How long before she couldn't resist the temptation herself? Even now she was having an internal argument with herself about being neighborly and helping him wash his car. She was already in her bathing suit so it wasn't like she had to worry about getting messy.

She cursed under her breath again and moved faster back towards her apartment. Closing the door and pressing her back up against it as if the wood could keep her thoughts from straying to the scene taking place outside. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath and sighed. She had opened up Pandora's Box by going into John's apartment and it was all Chucks fault!

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**Epilogue**

John chuckled darkly to himself as he continued to rinse the soap from his car. He was a highly trained assassin and spy. He was well aware of his new effect on the interest's lovely sister. He had a code that made her off limits but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy watching her pulse race and her skin flush every time he came near her. Heck it was a nice boost to his male ego.

He still couldn't believe he had been so deep in meditation that she had almost been able to sneak up on him. He would have to thank Walker for the tip to help him regain his inner calm and make sure he locked all the doors next time he tried it. Although it angered him to think about how vulnerable he had left himself he couldn't be displeased with the outcome. Having Miss Bartowski all hot and bothered in his presence was a welcome change to the way she normally mothered over him. John was way past the point where he needed a woman mothering him. Especially one as lovely as Ellie Bartowski.

AN reviews welcome! Okay who am I kidding? Please say something nice or something not so nice or something sort of nice. ANYTHING.


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